1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to devices that create waterfalls in swimming pools for aesthetic reasons. More particularly, it relates to a design that produces a waterfall or a water spray.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Waterfall devices for swimming pools typically include a water accumulation box and an outlet port from which escapes the desired waterfall. Some or all of the water from a water circulation pump is diverted from the pool water outlets into the waterfall device where it is accumulated in the water accumulation box. Baffle walls are usually employed to smooth out turbulence so that the water exiting the outlet port is in the form of a relatively smooth sheet.
All of the designs known heretofore produce the desired effect, but they are nonversatile, i.e., they produce a waterfall only. What is needed is a more versatile design that could provide a conventional waterfall effect when desired and which could be converted to provide a water spray when desired. Such a design would relieve the monotony of conventional pool waterfalls.
There is also a need for a design that can be provided as original equipment when a pool is built, or which can be retrofit into existing pools. Moreover, the needed design should be installable above or below the pool deck at the option of the pool owner.
However, when the prior art was considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in this art how those needs could be fulfilled.